Special Needs Program

These courses are suitable for children and adults with Special Needs.

Learning Outcome: On completion of the course participants should be able to:

Recognise beach signs and know their meanings

Recognise Lifesavers and Lifeguards

Identify the safest places to swim

Understand self-survival

Activities

The format of each weekly program is varied from school to school, based on the level of disability of the students. The beach activities include sprinting, beach flags, poison ball, and relays. The water component incorporates water confidence by playing games in the water, such as wading around ropes, or filling bins with water carried up in buckets. Once confidence is established, and depending on the surf conditions, body boards and foam surf - boards are also used. General sun-safe concepts such as use of sunscreen, hats, and rash-vests, and the surf safety concepts of swimming between the flags, and beach signs and their meanings are introduced, according to the student’s capabilities, and reinforced at each weekly lesson. The students are also introduced to the lifeguards on the beach, and know they can feel comfortable to approach them with any enquiries or problems.

Benefits to Participants

The main benefits of this program for the students involved in the program to date have been:

Increased awareness of swimming between the flags

Improved confidence and ability in the water

A chance to integrate into the community

Learning new social skills

Improved gross motor and balance from negotiating sand and wave zones

Fun for all involved

Interacting with people outside their regular circle of friends and carers